


Chasing Constellations

by RickyxHorror



Category: Motionless in White (Band)
Genre: Anorexia, Completed, Just be cautious, M/M, Past Rape/Non-con, Triggers, past anorexia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-30 17:47:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12113961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RickyxHorror/pseuds/RickyxHorror
Summary: I moved my story off of Wattpad, because it's a toxic community for me.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [My pal Carter](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=My+pal+Carter).



> I moved my story off of Wattpad, because it's a toxic community for me.

Rick had not been prepared for this considering that when he was the new member to the band, everyone hated him. He hated meeting new people because the effort and time it took to get acclimated with new people. He knew someone had to replace Angelo, and he was just glad that they all had found someone to do so. They did indeed need a drummer. 

Vinny Mauro, or for a full name; Vincenzo Lucas Mauro. He didn't even trust the fucking name as of this moment. He had severe trust issues with nearly everyone, and he really wasn't in the mood for new people right now. Rick had been sitting in the front lounge right now, awaiting the door to be knocked upon or some sort of signal to get up and greet. So, waiting on the new person. Rick closed his twitter out and he stood up and fixed his jeans. He then adjusted his sweater on his chest so the shoulders were moved forward more and his hood would cover his whole head when needed, to hide. Rick stared at a stain left on the floor in the front lounge until he heard a knocking. It was loud and almost in a threatening sensation. Rick was the only one completely dressed and awake to open the door so he did. He walked slowly over to the door and he pushed it open, and immediately moved out of the way for the male. He was shocking, in a weird way. He was incredibly different from the rest of the band, he wore color for starters. He didn't wear any makeup, he had no real objective stand out to his appearance. Rick was already taken aback, now for greetings. Rick stuck out his hand and he inhaled softly. Rick was stopped before he could have started by the shorter male. 

"Save it dude, I'm not here for the friendships." The new drum replacement said. Good. That saved Rick from wasting energy, from having to speak and from possibly embarrassing himself. Vinny stood in the middle of the front lounge. I figured I would help out, to get the guys to come to the front. I inhaled again only to be cut off for the second time. This, was not going to fly. 

"Yo, Chris, Ryan, Devin, my mans. How are y'all?" Vinny said, getting the attention of all three of the members. "Balz dude, you too." Vinny added. Rick wanted to know who exactly this kid thought he was and why he treated Rick's lifelong friends like his own. He didn't even had a bunk in this bus yet he was acting like he fucking owned it. Rick was furious as of this moment, yet his face read of nothingness. Chris, Ryan, Devin and last but absolutely not the least Balz had strolled from the back lounge. They were all in makeup for stage, Chris looked the most prepared meanwhile the other members had arm paint to do. 

"Vinny, I'm glad to see you found the lot and our bus easily. So, I see you've met Rick here." Chris threw out from his mouth the second he walked out. Chris was midpoint of the group of males. Devin on the left side of Chris and Ryan on the right side. Balz had walked over to near where Rick was standing to grab his phone. He suspected something between the two, in this current atmosphere that threw him off and he wanted to find out why the air felt so thick. Balz slid his phone from the counter within the millisecond of being there and into his back pocket. 

"Yeah man, no problem at all. The bus tends to stand out in my opinion but like, that's what you guys are for right? Standing out and believing in staying strong. Sticking up for yourself and kicking it." Vinny said casually, he had no issue with his own behavior or the shift in actions he had just pulled. He pulled that cloth right over Chris' eyes and it was clear to see this because Chris acted as if in a normal friendly situation. Rick felt disappointed in his closest friend in the band, Chris. Chris normally read Rick's plain face and emotion bleeding eyes in three seconds tops, yet as of right now he hadn't caught on. 

"Exactly dude. You seem to have caught on in no time. What did you study my wikipedia?" Chris joked. See? Casual. Vinny's current actions made it clear to Rick that he wasn't wanted and Chris' behavior made it clear that his emotion wasn't being heard. 

"Excuse me for a second gentlemen. I'm going to go take a smoke break. Been on my feet all day." Rick said in a hushed tone, something soft and regretful yet audible to the mass of men in the front lounge here surrounding him and this rude man. Chris waved him off and Balz did a quick head nod. Rick went aside Vinny and he stepped down the steep and small stairs to the bus door and pushed hard on it to open the door, and stepped down and out of the bus. He sighed loudly the second he heard the tour bus door slam shut and he relaxed his shoulder stance. He was slouched a bit now, as he slid the crushed box of cigarettes from his back pocket. Rick slid his sleeves up and the white stick into his muted pink lips, and the black lighter out as well. He flicked his thumb against the metal until the lighter struck itself to life. Rick waited the three seconds for his cigarette to light before inhaling and letting go of the red tab on the lighter to slid the mechanism into his jacket pocket. Rick leaned against the side of the bus and he let the puff out slow. This was due to be a long journey to acceptance. One journey he was surely not prepared for nor did he ask for it. Six whole minutes later along with a shy twenty three seconds, I entered the bus again. The boys were all settled in bunks and Vinny was sitting on the front lounge couch on his cellphone. Vinny grabbed Rick's arm as he began to walk by. 

"I'm not here to play Olson. I'm no Parente. You'll get used to this face soon, I'm your new neighbor. Stay sharp." Vinny had gripped onto Rick's arm, keeping his attention and him close to his face. He gritted his teeth as he spoke these words to Rick, only filling him with more disgust and anger. Two things he didn't want after he'd tried to smoke them away. Rick yanked his arm from Vinny's grip and his hand had flung and accidentally hit Vinny's nose. 

"Get off, please." Rick said in more a weak tone. He said it in the same tone you'd hear a teenager ask a bully to drop it. Something full of fear yet not enough to convince. 

"What the fuck dude, you seriously just hit me? Fucking sleep with both eyes open asshole." Vinny warned and let go of Rick's arm, harshly shoving him backwards and into the table. Rick grabbed his hipbone that had just slammed into the table and he bit his bottom lip to prevent noise. 

"That's what you get for being an asshole." Vinny spat and stood up, wandering off to the bunk directly across from Rick's. Rick walked over to the freezer and slid some ice out and onto the counter. He grabbed a red solo cup and slid the ice off the counter and into the solo cup. He went back to the bunks and slid into his own, holding the solo cup right above his hipbone. He stuck it in the side pocket to his bunk and then maneuvered his jeans down a little along with his boxers to show the reddened section of skin on his hip, and then he picked the solo cup of ice back up and placed the bottom directly on that part of his hip bone. The only part that shocked Ricky was that this all stayed a secret and was left unheard. It created a sickening pit in the depths of Rick's stomach, forcing all thoughts of eating from his brain. He sunk into the comfort of the warm bunk in contrast to the red solo cup of ice on his hipbone and drowned out his surroundings by focusing in on one thought; This new kid can go fuck himself, Rick didn't want any of this.


	2. Chapter 2

\- Two Months into Tour.- 

 

Rick hadn't needed the disgusting glares or sickening words that Vinny threw at him. He wanted to leave the bus right now to smoke but the obnoxious short male stood in front of the stairs. Rick knew he could have shoved Vinny into the door and caused him to fall yet, he didn't feel like getting a replacement for the band's replacement drummer. Rick knew that deep down inside, he could never purposefully harm another human being. He just wasn't violent and reckless like that and he surely didn't want to be known as someone to avoid. Now that he thought about it, he saw Vinny like that. 

In Rick's crystal bleached denim blue eyes, he saw Vinny as the kid in high school who had tons of friends. Someone who played on the basketball team with the school and on a travel team outside of school. Someone who had tons of custom jersey's with his last name on the back. Someone who's phone was constantly going off whether it was texts or calls. Someone who had tons of trophies in their room. Someone who had decent grades, like straight B +'s and someone who's parents appreciated and loved. Someone who was liked. Someone who you could never really be mad at. Someone who got invited to every single party. Someone who basically lived above the law. The class clown and most likely to be prom king. Someone who deserved every lovely and admirable thing they got. Someone better than himself, of course. 

Rick saw himself being far from all that as a teenager, he knew he was far from that hopeful perfect description. Now believe him, this was not an opinionated statement. Vinny throughout these few months already had stuck it to Rick that he was worthless. Rick wanted to push Vinny really hard so he could step over his injured body and light a cigarette; but he didn't. 

"Not getting out Olson." Vinny teased the disconcerted male. Vinny knew that this only took a little longer before Rick had given up and went to tread off to his bunk to grow even more discomforted. Rick would have short small nicotine complaint shifts. Where if he hadn't gotten to smoke at least once a day, he was in the shittiest most devilish mood anyone had ever known. Rick had adjusted his hoodie and he crossed his arms across his chest. 

"Please, just let me through. I don't even understand why you target me like this. What did I ever do to you?" Rick asked, he knew that eventually it had to be said and his thoughts would be verbalized. He was lucky it had stopped there and that he didn't spew everything out all at once. 

"No. I'm not going to. You don't get to pass. Sucks to be you." Vinny spat back rudely and he crossed his own arms. Rick saw the bulk of muscle in Vinny's arms and became even more intimidated by him. Not only did it confirm his judgments about Vinny, yet it scared Rick. Rick unfolded his own and he stepped back. 

"I change my mind, I no longer care to hear your opinion on why you won't let me take a six minute smoke break. I'll fill you in on something though, the only reason I strongly crave one right now is due to your constant mistreating behavior you present to me. Everyday." Rick confessed and he bit his tongue in his closed mouth. He wasn't supposed to share that with Vinny. He wasn't supposed to say any of that. The only thing he had mentally planned to verbalize was to agree with Vinny's preventing decision. Rick stepped back twice now, and he was near the wall of the driver's area. Ryan was up in the seat right now. 

"Really? Is that so? Interesting, I thought it was cause you're such an addict." Vinny smirked and he stepped forward to Rick, keeping his arms crossed and his shoulders sitting high. He looked intimidating, Rick felt a resentment burning in his knees, in his legs. This was strongly powered over by anger and he was fearing an accidental attack on the bully. That's what Vinny honestly was and he'd kill to hear Vinny admit it verbally. 

"Yes, the uncontrollable addiction caused by the harmful and powerful drug nicotine is the second half of why I plead with you for a smoke. You are right about this." Rick agreed with Vinny for some reason. With all of these disagreeing and harsh thoughts he had towards Vinny, he only ever verbally agreed. 

"Stop being a smartass. Leave it alone. You ain't getting your way Rick. Quit now and return to the bunks." Vinny threw back and Rick nodded, sliding out from the corner he was pushed into by Vinny and he went right into his bunk. Was Ryan also deaf? Did the boys know what was happening yet not pay any attention towards it? They acknowledged it yet never acted? Or did they all not know? Maybe Vinny had them threatened too. No no, there was no chance of that. Ryan, Chris, Devin and Josh all seemed extremely tight knit, like best friends since birth. Rick knew that they hadn't been harassed or attacked by Vinny. What was it that Vinny had against him? Rick slid his thin body into his bunk and he slid his sleeves up. He grabbed his headphones that had been all balled up and tangled in his pocket and he began working on all the tangles. Right now, he had left his curtain to his bunk open. This left him vulnerable to prying eyes such as Vinny's. Vinny especially, he laid right across from him. Rick had placed the headphones in his ears, right then left and then he plugged them into his phone. Searching for his KoRn based playlist, he pressed lay and closed his eyes. He continued to ponder on why Vinny was persistent on mistreating him and searching for reasons on why he may have deserved it. 

 

Vinny had nothing against Rick. Vinny could hold Rick against himself. But in no way at all did Vinny actually have any real reason to act this way towards Rick. Remember when your parents said that guys are only mean to you because they like you? Well fuck, Vinny must be terribly obvious to read then. Vinny denied these feelings and emotions he felt inside of him because he didn't want tot believe them to be true. Vinny wanted to be a normal kid, all his childhood he had been told that being gay or anything other than straight would fuck up his entire confidence, his ego and the way other people saw him. He could fuck up his appearance at all, he was that kid. The assumptions and judgments that Rick had made had all been far beyond true. Vinny wished he could verbalize this fear inside of him, the confusion he felt and all of the wondering he personally did. Vinny had what felt like thousands of questions. 'Why does Rick make me feel this way? When I think of good things, why does his name flash in my head like sirens to a ambulance? Why did I treat him so cruelly? What did Rick actually ever do to put me in such an evil shifty mood like this? Did Rick have an imperfections? Who do I go to in order to seek out help with these questions? Who here could I trust the most? Is any of this actually affecting Rick? Is Rick okay? Have I hurt Rick seriously? If I've hurt Rick, is there any chance of mending it? Why did he have to be such a beauty? Why did he have to be the only thing I could ever think about?' was only but a scoop from the edge of Vinny's head. Vinny knew that morally and mannerly that what he was doing was wrong. It only was portrayed as further unmannerly behavior to blame it on the old saying that boys treat others rudely when in love. There was no need to try to mentally prove himself, for what he was doing was wrong. Vinny knew that if his mother knew, she would be disappointed. Vinny knew he was raised very drastically different compared to his current behavior. Vinny had to stop himself and back it off, yet something inside of him screamed torture it. Torture the thoughts, torture Rick, continue the game. So that was what he did. Vinny planned to continue this cruel game and proceed to torture his victim, Rick.


	3. Chapter 3

\- Three Months Later- 

Rick knew he wasn't going to do this bullshit anymore. Today was the day he would put an end to this foolish bullshit and get to smoke in peace. Vinny was standing at the door already, arms crossed and ready to fucking restrain Rick's silent demands. Rick walked to the top step to the three step staircase out of the bus. 

"Come here Vinny. I'm not bothering smoking today. I have a few questions, simple questions too." Rick said softly and calmly, remembering to mentally soothe his own threatening thoughts. Vinny walked up the stairs and he stood right in front of Ricky yet again. His arms continued to sit on his chest crossed and his vivid arm muscles continued to intrude Rick's possibility of ever feeling fully safe around Vinny. 

"What now smartass? And didn't I tell you to quit with the whole intelligent wording shit? It's useless. Cut it out, Olson." Vinny said in a more quiet tone contrast to his normal angry tone. Rick sighed softly and he decided to please Vinny within this short moment he woulds top verbalizing his thoughts so perfectly. 

"So, is it my hair? My eyes? Maybe my breath. Or is it the fact that I smell like smoke no matter how many times you prevent me from having smoke breaks. That may be it. Possibly, the rare smile I let sneak onto my face. It's more likely that it's my awesome verbalization skills, right? Someone jealous? Jealous of what I am capable of?" Rick asked, he was teasing Vinny's head; sucking him in further. Vinny clenched his fists and Rick glanced at both arms and the terrifying clenching of the muscles in his arms. That ran a wave of fear in Rick's body yet he slowly let it flow out of him. This was Vinny Mauro, touring drummer in replacement of Angelo Parente. Shorter than you yet stronger arms than you. No big deal, he's not going to get physical. Vinny had glared at Rick, staring into Rick's eyes. 

"None of that is why I do this, Olson." Vinny said back simply. He knew he couldn't reveal anything at all. He had to keep himself compressed, his head suppressed. Rick smirked softly. 

"Are you afraid of my first name? You haven't said it once. Do you not know how to say it? Does it hurt you to say it? Rick Olson. Richard Allen Olson, Ricky, Rick, anything you'd like. Any nickname that derives from Richard yet you profusely call me Olson." Rick outwitted all of Vinny's previous actions with his few statements. He made Vinny look weak using words, he got his barrier down; or one of them as of right now. Vinny had indeed let a barrier down and inhaled softly, to speak again. Rick noticed the lack of thought that Vinny put into his words, he didn't take the time to think about what he was going to say. 

"No I'm not. That's a fucking nerdy ass name, Richard. Sounds like a failed business man's name. Dick is also a nickname for Richard. How bout I call you Dick? Dick is a nickname that derives from Richard." Vinny smirked and nodded once to himself. 

"Surprising Vinny. That was the most intelligent thing I've heard you say all tour so far. So what would you do, or here. How would you react to this?" Rick spoke the first part slowly, as if in actual shock. He inhaled shortly to blurt out the second line of his statement. Rick lifted his arm and he slammed his improperly balled up fist into Vinny's chest. Vinny gasped softly and he pushed Rick's arm back and twisted it. 

"You little shit, you have to be fucking kidding me.." Vinny exhaled and he punched Rick in his chest, right on his sternum. Rick exhaled forcefully and the color swept from his face. His mouth dropped open and he struggled to inhale again, for Vinny had knocked all the wind out of Rick with one blow. Rick did what he was good at, using his legs. He tripped Vinny with his legs and the second Vinny hit the floor, he continued to spastically kick. Vinny had taken a few of the powerful kicks to many different spots on his legs and one good one to his thigh before sitting up halfway and getting a harsh one to the nose. Vinny's nose began bleeding quite rapidly yet Rick didn't care. Blood stains on his clothing and the floor would be no issue. On his clothing? It would seem as if it were fake blood and that Rick had done it on purpose or that Devin had done it to him. Rick's robust kicking was stopped when Vinny caught both of Rick's ankles and he held them tightly, preventing much motion. 

"Not gonna fucking stop me now fuckface-" Rick grunted and he lifted his upper half only to be punched in the collarbone by Vinny. Rick then threw his arm back and then slammed it forward and into Vinny's neck. Vinny spat out fast with his fast breaths that had been forced out of him. Rick took his right hand and wiped some of the spit from his left eye as he pulled his right arm back and prepared to hit Vinny again. Vinny let go of Rick's left foot to grab Rick's arm and avert the punch from hitting him. Rick took the opportunity to kick fast and that pushed Vinny back a few inches. Rick had kicked Vinny right in his stomach, his stomach area. Luckily, Vinny didn't upchuck or feel nauseated at all. Vinny could handle that shit as of right now, the anger that was pulsing within his body overthrew all nausea. 

"You fucking thought Olson, you fucking wish." Vinny had flipped Rick and he was now on his back of the floor in the front lounge. Vinny pinned Rick's hands down over his head and his knees dug into each of Rick's thighs, stopping him from being able to kick or move his legs at all. He had Rick finished. Rick bit his bottom lip insanely hard in pain, struggling to slowly accept the pain in his thighs. His bottom half began to feel numb, they slowly gave up on fighting. 

"Get.. the fuck off of me.. Mauro." Rick panted softly, verbally he still wasn't done. Ricky didn't want to lose this easily. He wanted to get this asshole off of him and he wanted to punch him right in his nice lips. Rick wanted to ruin his nose for fucking good, you don't need a nose to play the drums. Vinny chuckled softly and he shook his head from left to right slowly, side to side denying giving in to Rick's demands as well. 

"So sad to see the big man fall so hard man, You fought so well for someone of your body type as well. Hopefully, another one of these will teach you something. The lesson being not to fuck with me." Vinny made his words sharp and clear, before clenching his left hand up and tucking his thumb in his clenched fingers and throwing all his force and body weight into the punch he inflicted on Rick's sternum again. It was slightly higher up than the last time he had punched Rick here, so there was a possibility it would affect more of him now. Personally, Vinny didn't care for what happened to Rick next. 

"Ah Fuck!" Rick wheezed and Vinny hopped right off of Rick, leaning down by Rick's left ear. Vinny was going to make this stick, and he was going to pour his salt right into the wound he's ripped open. 

"I'm chucking you on the floor outside of this bus, you are going to pretend we both got beat up. You will not tell a fucking soul on this rock the truth. Give up Olson, I just fucking won." Vinny whispered as he lifted Rick's limp body and pushed the door to the bus open and he placed Rick down somewhat gently aside the bus. Vinny dropped himself down there as well, kicking the door three times to make a mock knocking noise to alert the boys. 

Rick knew that it was only smart to give in. He felt more nauseated than three minutes ago when the actual blow had slammed into his sternum. Rick inhaled a two second breath before coughing three times and vomiting. Rick threw up in a projectile manner, all over himself. The bus slightly shook from side to side, signalling that there was motion happening inside the bus. Rick continued to cough and choke on his own spit and some vomit there for a few seconds, unable to lift his upper half of his body from being in an incredulous amount of pain. Vinny made a gentle face of disgust for two reasons. The first being that his crush has vomit all over him, and the second being that he had done this to Ricky.

This hurt him to see Rick in so much pain that he had caused and that the fact that Rick was choking on his own throw up was actually disgusting. Vinny had taken this too far. He couldn't control himself, he needed to stop this abuse. Rick never actually did anything to provoke this except.. exist. Chris was the first to exit the bus.


	4. Chapter 4

-Two Months After The Altercation -

Rick sat in the corner of the front lounge, but on the floor. At this point, he didn't even feel right sitting on the seats anymore knowing that previously, Vinny had sat there. Anything that Vinny had previously touched made him feel out of place, like he had no right to touch it or be there. He felt unwanted in the place that he once fit in so perfectly to. All due to Vinny's ignorance and poorly planned actions.

Vinny felt sick to his stomach knowing that the end result would be something so drastic as this was. Rick wouldn't even look at Vinny, not his body and Satan forbidding his eyes. Rick had been awfully silent since the event and he rarely socialized to the guys anymore, including Vinny. Vinny continued to play cop when it came to Rick wanting to go outside for a smoke break and the second he saw Vinny's feet standing at the doorway, he trailed back off to his bunk and laid there. Rick listened to the same playlist constantly. One with a lot of HIM songs on it and a few KoRn songs here and there. Rick had fully succumbed to Vinny's cruelty and he let Vinny take hold of his behavior. Chris, Ryan, Balz and Devin had all went out to catering and after that, they were going to go shopping with their friends in New Years Day. Which left it down to being Vinny and Rick alone in the cold tour bus in the middle of winter. Rick feared situations like this due to the fact that more often than not, Vinny tried to talk to him or get him to do things for him. Rick had seen that Vinny went into the tour bus bathroom and that gave Rick at least two minutes of freedom, or breathing space. The second Rick herd the silver lock to that bathroom door click shut for good, he knew he could breath again. He exhaled softly and he laid himself across the front lounge floor carpet. He inhaled and exhaled slowly and in more of a relaxed notion. Rick had drifted off in his head now, thinking about his freedom. He was imagining him being happy with himself, being happy in general and thinking about what he wanted. Vinny had been glad to hear the silence himself, he had slowly cracked the lock on the bathroom open and he slid out of the bathroom. He saw Rick laying there on the gross black carpet, arms laying above his head on the floor and his legs laying flatly on the floor, crossed gently. His left foot had been crossed and sat on top of his right one. Rick had his eyes closed, his black eye shadow slightly smudged from the intense rubbing Rick had done at his eyes earlier, when he had freshly woken up. 

Vinny finally had some time to admire Rick, without Rick panicking. Without it being fully awkward on both parts. Vinny gazed at Rick's messily laid black hair, it was like the night sky. Dark and mysterious yet shined with intrusive glimmering wonder that made you search for answers. Rick's lovely muted pink lips that created a strong passion to find out what they tasted like and a burning question of whether or not they were as gentle and sweet as they looked. Maybe Rick's pale arms, the thin twigs themselves had a hidden strength inside them. Vinny would know, he'd been punched at least twice by one of them. How about Rick's legs? The things looked like the poles you used to hold flags in schoolyards, thin and sturdy; even thought the words contrasted themselves yet it still fit. His hands, Rick's gentle hands that were whiter than the snow outside the bus itself yet the blue veins popped out from the backs of his hands and it looked so fucking hot. Vinny needed to fix the mess he had created and he decided he was going to do it now and for the better. Vinny put his knee in-between each of Rick's legs without touching them and he held down both of Rick's hands with on of his own hands. Rick let out a soft yelp. 

"I'm sorry, please don't hurt me." Rick said softly as he clenched his eyes shut. Vinny felt his heart slam against the front of his chest and roll down it and sink all the way down and into his stomach. That was practically disheartening, it was disgusting. Vinny caused Ricky to be like this, he changed every mental processor in Ricky's head. He messed Ricky up like this, he caused Ricky to be like this and right now, he was letting go of it. He was going to fix this, he was ending it. 

"This ends now Ricky, hopefully for the better. I'm not here to hurt you anymore. I'm an asshole Ricky, I never should have treated you like that. I'm such a fucking asshole." Vinny whispered, his face close to Ricky's. Ricky slowly and hesitantly un-clenched his eyes, and opened them to see a softer and more emotional version of Vinny. Ricky had no intent to say anything right now, he was going to nod this away and let Vinny talk. 

"I can't believe I let myself get this far. You don't deserve this, I shouldn't have done any of this to you. I shouldn't have laid a hand on you, I shouldn't have lied to the band. I should have never laid a hand on you Rick. The firs time I laid my hand on you, it should have been to hold your hand. I should have hugged you when I saw you but instead I balled that up, and I prevented it. For some reason, I treated you like shit. I hid behind the stupid fucking excuse that guys treat others mean because it means they like them. I may like you but I should have laid my hand on your hip and not thrown it at your chest. I shouldn't have thrown you on that floor outside this bus. I shouldn't have watched you throw up because of the pain that I inflicted on you. Man, it killed me to watch you in such pain like that. I could barely believe that I had put you in that pain. I'm so fucking sorry Ricky. I'm so sorry, I'm beyond sorry. I can't verbally explain how sorry I am. You were right. I was jealous of everything about you. If you had to apologize to me, I bet you'd be more well-spoken than me. I love your eyes Ricky, have you ever inspected your eyes? The beautiful flashes of bleached denim like color? And then the floods, the color of a flood in the middle of fall. The color of the rain in the middle of the fall, on a heavy wooden ship with the floods. The floods and water rising over the sides of the ship. The hints of darkness. Your hair, have I ever even began to describe this? It's that classic black like the ravens from The Halloween Horror Havoc from two thousand and fifteen yet it's got that hidden glimpse in it. It makes me want to run my hands through it and hold you in my lap close to my chest. It is so dark yet looks so incredibly smooth and soft, like a cat's fur. I would love us to be like that, together. Close to each other, and safe. I saw it change in your eyes Ricky, the shift. You no longer like it here." Vinny ranted. The finally rambled the truth out, the truth that Ricky had been waiting to hear.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I changed. I'm sorry." Rick said softly in reply to Vinny's partial rant. He had no clue Vinny felt like this, he loved to hear all of these things that Vinny had spewed at him. He wanted to hear more of it but the only thing he wanted more was to see if some of his thoughts would end up being executed. Rick had thought too soon. Vinny took his left hand that was free and gently leaded Rick's head up a bit by his chin and Vinny connected his lips to Rick's lips. The assumptions were true. Rick's lips were soft and gentle, and the taste was something Vinny couldn't put a term to right now. Vinny closed his eyes slowly and he kept his hand on Rick's chin. Rick kissed back, his lips moved with Vinny's. Vinny pulled away from Rick slowly and he watched as the thin line of spit hung between them. Vinny licked his lips slowly and he stared at Rick in his bleached denim blue eyes. 

"Hopefully for the better. I knew that these feelings weren't wrong." Vinny said softly and he took his hand off of Rick's wrists. Vinny found it sad that Rick's wrists were so thin and small that the two of them both fit in one of his hands, yet what could he do? He had been here with him now, he had Rick as close as he could ever get. 

"For th-the better. I uhm, I-I think I liked that too." Rick said in a hushed tone as well and he felt the heat rise in his cheeks as if Vinny were the handle and when Vinny spoke, it turned the handle to the heat control in his cheeks. Rick had a bit of a blush burning too, and Vinny gave a gentle smile. 

"That shade of pink suits you really well, Ricky." Vinny smirked and Rick covered his face with his hands, pulling some of the strands of hair that laid messily around his head with his fingertips and it covered his cheeks up. No fair.


	5. Chapter 5

Rick was beyond exhilarated to know that this torture was over and he didn't have to deal with any bullshit anymore. He felt like he could breathe and be okay, he didn't have to fear Vinny anymore. He could sit on the couch now and sit next to Vinny. He could leave his bunk curtain open if he needed and didn't have to seclude himself. Rick felt okay again, like he had more breathing space. Speaking of breathing space, the man who sucked all oxygen out of him and left his breathless at a glance appeared. Also more commonly known as Vinny, the replacement drummer. 

"Hey Ricky. Whatcha up to?" Vinny announced, walking over to the bunks section of the bus and kneeling down on one knee in front of Rick's bunk. Vinny put his elbow on his thigh and propped his head up so he look on a equal level to Rick's head. To prevent that conversation from being uncomfortable or awkward. 

"I was just reading, Corey Taylor's book. The most recent one." Rick replied with a small smile that creased his face on the right side. Vinny smiled as well and he stared at Rick's eyes. Vinny loved Rick's eyes with all of the power in his heart, they were so fucking enticing to him. They dragged him in each time without any effort on Rick's part. All Rick ever had to do was lift his eyelids and Vinny was done for. No matter what Vinny was currently thinking about, what he was doing; Rick's eyes never failed to stop him right in his tracks and stun him. It was pure magic, there was no other way to describe the trance that Rick's eyes threw on Vinny. 

"Is it really that good? You've been in here for a while. Just reading. I got bored of playing NHL right now, do you happen to want to adventure with me?" Vinny pleaded. He was desperate for Rick's attention, desperate to leave the bus and live a little more. Just have some one on one time with Rick in an area that wasn't so enclosed. Rick folded the right corner of his page that he was on, 135. Rick closed the book and slid it into the thin side compartment of his bunk. Vinny stood up and he shoved his hands into his black jean pockets, then did a side lunge like movement to the right and then to the left. Vinny let out a sigh and then stood up completely straight, or what was visibly close to it. Rick slid out of the bunk, feet on the ground first and then sliding his upper half out of the bunk as well. Rick did sort of the same strange exercise like action that Vinny had done. But backwards, because Rick went to the left and then the right. Rick stood up and placed his feet an equal seven inches from each other, not specific and purposefully on his part. It just happened to have been how far apart Rick's feet fell. Rick signaled in a sneaky way for Vinny to go in front of him as of right now. Vinny did as silently instructed by Rick and he walked to the door, sliding his scratched up red vans on. They were skater shoes which meant that in Vinny's case, they ripped and scratched super easily. Vinny slid them on, he was already wearing white socks so he didn't have anything to hesitate over. Rick had sat down on the floor near the door to the bus, because he struggled with standing up and sliding his shoes on. Unlike Vinny, Rick didn't have all that much balance and skill. The most balance challenging thing that Rick could accomplish was to stick one leg up on a speaker while keeping the other one on the stage floor. Shocking, huh? Rick had slid on the left blacked out vans sneaker before sliding on the right one. They had already been tied because Rick never untied them. Rick always slid them off of his feet while still tied. Rick grabbed the wall at first to help him get up and Vinny stuck his arm out and held it still for Rick to use to help him get up. It wasn't that Rick was unfit and unhealthy which lead to him being unable to get up on his own. Rick was the opposite, he was so skinny and thin that it took a lot of his effort and energy to do simple shit like this on his own. Vinny knew this about Rick considering the fact that he rarely ever went to catering, or really opened the fridge. Rick had gripped onto Vinny's hand and pulled himself up, and Vinny retracted his arm a bit to assist. It put less work on Rick's part, the nicer thing to do here. Rick got himself a little more balanced after standing up, and he grabbed his zipper and yanked it up. He flipped the hood up on his Blackcraft Cult hoodie. Wait a second, was this even Ricky's hoodie? Ricky didn't remember ever buying this one. Ricky knew he had a Blackcraft hoodie with the Jason Voorhees mask yet not this one. Rick adjusted the sweater on his frame so the hood would cover his whole head if needed or if wanted. Vinny held his had out, and at first glance Rick took it as a signal to begin walking or to exit the bus. But no, Vinny was asking a silent plea to hold Rick's hand. Rick didn't hesitate to lock hands with Vinny, and Rick oozed with satisfaction when he acknowledged that the two hands fit perfectly in each others. Vinny took the lead in this journey and this lead Rick to becoming the follower, in which he had no issue with. Rick was smiling partially, to himself over this little notion that Vinny requested to Rick. Vinny had such a warm hand, it was soft as well. Rick wanted to hold on and never let go, as if in the situation that he were to detach himself from Vinny that all oxygen and bliss would escape as well. Only Vinny had done this to Rick. Now no, they hadn't been dating or anything of that sort yet Rick knew this was the only person to ever have had made him feel this way. It was truly a massive feeling, something that made Rick feel stars. Rick was strollig slowly aside Vinny, and Vinny was looking at the scenery yet Rick was staring at the best part of the scenery. Vinny. Now it was Rick's turn to admire Vinny. His hair was finally growing at this point from it's once shaven origin. Rick was so glad that this was who he bunked near, the replacement for Angelo. Rick had been waiting the point where they got to the field so he could truly admire Vinny in a open setting. 

"You okay? For the smart mouth you are, you got all quiet. I like to hear you talk. Do you feel like talking?" Vinny had piped up out of the silence, and Rick bit his bottom lip for a second before looking at Vinny in his eyes. The color of Vinny's eyes were a very muted green except in Vinny's eyes; there was faith and love. Vinny's eyes were overfilling and overwhelmingly calming. It was weird to put those two terms together but the bottom line was that to even glance at Vinny's eyes would make Rick calm. The only other thing that did that to him was the stars, astronomy and space. Planets, nebulas and constellations. Vinny's eyes were like constellations and Rick would kill to forever chase them. If it meant Rick would never feel anxious again, he'd run until he no longer physically functioned properly. 

"I'm just admiring this time right now to relax with you. Talk about what?" Rick asked, skipping to replying to Vinny's kindhearted request. Rick and Vinny had come across an incredibly large field yet not near a stage. Uncommon yet lucky for them, they had somewhere to try and stargaze and relax. 

"Anything. You seem really happy and I like that. Am I making you happy?" Vinny asked and Rick smiled again. 

"Ever since you decided to make both ends meet, I'm ecstatic. Your existence makes me glow." Rick explained and Vinny gave a soft chuckle before taking in a gentle breath. 

"Here, let's relax in the field here Rick. It's nice and open and we can chill under the stars." Vinny suggested and Rick gave a quick complying nod. Rick was glad that Vinny had the same thought process as himself in the sense that he drifted towards finding the field as well. Rick sat down at the climax part of it and Vinny sat down next to him. 

"So uhm, what was it that you wanted me to talk about?" Rick asked again. 

"You know what? You don't have to talk. This moment can stay a silent blessing for the both of us. Come and scoot over a little closer." Vinny asked Rick and Rick did as told, sliding his body closer towards Vinny's. He laid on his left side of his body and Vinny laid on his right side of his body, facing Ricky. 

"Better?" Rick pondered if this was what Vinny had meant when Vinny requested for him to come closer. Vinny gave a soft nod as he lifted his right hand to hold Rick's chin again. 

"For Satan's sake Ricky, stop being so fucking lovely. You're more majestic than these stars." Vinny confessed and Rick felt his cheeks heat again. Vinny was turning the knob on Rick's stove by speaking these sweet nothings to him. Rick was slightly taken aback and had no clue how to reply. 

"No need babe. Just relax, come here." Vinny laid on his back and Rick placed his head on Vinny's chest. This was tranquility at is best and Rick wanted this moment to last forever. Which is why Vinny tried to make it last as long as it possibly could.


	6. Chapter 6

Rick had been terrifyingly too close to being mute, and he hadn't said a single word all week. Vinny felt sick to his stomach almost every day this week as he repeated churning around the question of; 'What did I do wrong?' Believe it or not, this time it wasn't Vinny fault. In a small crave for some Naked juice, Rick slid out of his bunk the way he normally did. Bottom half slides out first and Rick puts his feet on the ground, then he ducks forward and pops his head and chest out to stand. Rick picks his right foot up and bends his leg behind him till his bottom of his foot is touching his ass. Rick then does the same with the other leg and does it to each leg at least three times, only an estimate. It was an intelligent way to keep his legs feeling okay and to keep his legs from becoming stiff after each time he laid down in the cramped bunks. Rick had walked himself over to the fridge, not to far outside of the bunk area, only to feel his right leg being grabbed by a strong hand. Rick gasped and fell, for when it first happened he had kept trying to move. Looking around the bus frantically, he finally found his bully. Sadly, it was Vinny and it brought on a great sadness for Rick because Rick thought Vinny wasn't gonna hurt him anymore. 

"Ricky-baby, are you okay? I didn't mean to make you fall, are you okay? Did you hit your head, does anything hurt really badly?" Vinny blurted in a panicked tone. So Vinny hadn't meant for this to happen. Rick shook his head no to both questions, still strongly standing on his silence kick. Rick felt no need to talk if he could simply reply with head nods or shoulder shifting. Vinny let out an audible sigh of disappointment. Rick felt ashamed already, hearing that sigh sliver through Vinny's lips made him feel bad as if he'd fucked up big time. 

"What did I do? You've been point blank silent almost all week and I feel like shit. Did I hurt you? Did I offend you? If it's something I said then please tell me. You don't have to be afraid of me Ricky. I know I may have scared you just now but I promise not to hurt you, at least not with a bad purpose." Vinny pleaded with Rick, he had to say these things sometime around and he figured that now was okay. Ryan had awaken due to all the sounds of the stirring and talking. 

"Vin, is Rick okay?" Ryan asked in a sleepy morning voice, all groggy and dry throated because he'd only just woken up. 

"That's what I wanna know." Vinny said and he signaled for Rick to stand up. Rick did as instructed and he rose to the balls of his feet. Vinny popped himself out from his bunk at a stunning record of time. Placing his hands on Rick's shoulders, he slid his right hand up the back of Rick's neck and held it on the back of his head; leaning in to kiss Rick. Rick soon wrapped his arms around Vinny's neck as well, standing closer to him. Rick had already been nibbling at Vinny's bottom lip gently and at a slow pace when Ryan had come out of his bunk. Vinny had been asking Rick for permission to slip his tongue into his mouth so explore. Vinny wanted this to last, yet it became clear that Ryan was here and would surely have some burning questions. 

"When. How. Who asked who. Why now. I thought you hated him Vin, and Rick I thought you despised him. How?" Ryan spat out fast, but in more of a whisper.

"Two weeks ago, he placed himself over me, neither of us have made it official yet there's something real here and did. Past tense." Rick whispered back, then bit his lip in fear that there was a possibility that his explanation may have been slightly of or false. 

"Nothing Vinny. It was the lack of affection and physical attention that I craved yet I grew up in a house where this homosexual conversing was wrong. But you make it feel so right, and I had to find myself. I had to stay in a recluse to prevent you changing my thought process and shifting the way I thought of myself. Safe to say, I'm bisexual but currently looking more on the male side; so male lean." Rick continued to build upon his original statement. Vinny's mouth slightly hung agape in shock that he had finally spoken. 

"Me too, as in the bisexual part. I always thought that I had some gay in me. I accept you Rick." Vinny said in a bit of a shallow, soft tone that was awkwardly different from his usual outstanding ovational tone. 

"Rick, breathe. I'm cool with it dude. I'm glad y'all aren't shoving each other anymore, at least not in a mean way. I'm with Chris, have been since the start. That's my man-" Ryan says in a chuckle and he reaches into Chris' bunk to grab his arm. Chris playfully slaps Ryan and growls. 

"Fuck the fuck off, it's too early for this shit. Move your gay ass back to bed or come here and lay with me. I'm cold and thin." Chris demanded and Ryan shrugged. 

"That's my signal. Gotta go." Ryan signaled an exit with his index and middle finger on his right hand before crawling up and into Chris' bunk. Lots of small chuckling and laughter was heard from the second that Ryan had been in the bunk with Chris. 

"Ricky babe, come to the front with me." Vinny asked and Rick walked behind Vinny by three steps and then sat on the floor in the front lounge. Vinny furrowed his brows and he frowned a little.   
"Why are you on the floor?" Vinny questioned and Rick shrugged. Rick felt useless and bad again but he didn't know how to verbalize it. Well, he did but the proper term would have been to say that he was scared. 

"Sorry." Rick whispers and he tried to get up, yet it was a struggle right now. He was tired and it took him a lot of effort to complete simple tasks. 

"Let me help you then Ricky." Vinny suggested and he reached down, sticking his arm out for Rick to grab and use to help himself up. Rick did as silently suggested by the sturdy arm stated in front of him. Rick grabbed Vinny's hand and he pulled himself up, and he let out a grunt halfway through the process. 

"Thank you Vin. Do you want anything specific for breakfast?" Rick asked, opening the fridge to it's fullest extent and grabbing a Naked juice and a few strawberries, like four. They were all of relevant mediocre sizes, none were large. Rick took out a napkin and put them on the napkin. Vinny watched the fragile male in motion. 

"You're not gonna eat anything else?" Vinny accidentally asked out loud. Rick had been slightly shoved into shock hearing those words. No one ever commented on the small and scarce amounts of food he ate. 

"Uhm, I didn't plan on uhm eating much cause I'm uh.. still full from last night." Rick tried his hardest to lie. 

"You didn't leave your bunk last night to eat. You had a smoke break. Cigarettes aren't worth an health values." Vinny was fast to reply, catching the lie at an immaculate pace as well. 

"It's uhm.. not a big deal. I'm fine. I'm just not all that uh hungry." Rick tried to explain in separate meaning from how he truly felt. 

"Ricky, just fruit won't save you in the end. If I make you an omelet with cheese and bacon pieces, will you eat it?" Vinny offered, trying to open the sweet male's food and taste palette. 

"Maybe. I just don't want to get sick." Rick replied. He had a hint of regret and anger in his tone, yet it still had a baseline of sounding flat. 

"I'm not saying you have to but I just want you to be healthy. Come here, I hate seeing a frown on your face." Vinny mumbled and he lifted Rick's head up using his pinky and he kissed Rick again. Rick kissed back, brusquely. These kisses were sent from the stars, each of them placed in separate locations to spell out something beautiful. It made Rick glisten and shine with eccentricity and this warm feeling inside of him, the feeling of being loved and feeling wanted. It was all he ever seeked in life and he was enticed with the thought that Vinny bestowed a purpose on him when they kissed. Vinny made him stay, and Rick didn't regret staying. For him, he'd stay as long as needed till Vinny was satisfied. For him.


	7. Chapter 7

Rick had a nasty shift only two hours after Vinny forced him to eat ten strawberries and take his supplements. Rick saw how violent and pushy Vinny had gotten and the demanding and spoiled side of Vinny. The one he predicted existed in Vinny had finally shown. Things came flying out from Ricky's bunk as he was going to clean it out. Surely, coffee creamer packages and straw packaging along with crumpled papers came flying out with his bedding. Rick didn't do this for fun, he did this for two reasons. One, his bunk fucking smelt like shit. Two, his head was a mess and if his head was a mess, he always ran to hastily throwing shit and making efforts to clean. Even though his anger and disgust boiled hard inside him, he still was managing to clean. Vinny laid in his bunk half awake, awaiting three minutes before leaving to brush his teeth and fuck with his hair. Rick had been kicking around his shit, thank god for the lack of weight on his bones because it was nearly inaudible. Vinny, of course hopped out of his bunk at the wrong timing. 

Vinny slid himself out and Rick kicked right in Vinny's direction, unable to stop it from colliding with his cheek. 

"Fuck!" Rick yelped, panicked that now he'd started some bullshit between the two of them again. 

"You lil' shit, knew I shouldn't have trusted you." Vinny growled as soon as he was fully standing, holding his right cheek. Vinny grabbed Rick's swinging leg fast and the soft thud came only seconds after. Rick yelped again and he fell onto his lower back. 

"Fucking get off!" Rick hissed and Vinny smirked, picking Rick up over his shoulder and carrying him outside. 

"Fucking asshole put me down!" Ricky yelled, slamming his closed fists against Vinny's tough back and targeting his spinal cord. Vinny found some grass near the bus lot and he threw Rick down there. Rick tried to get up yet Vinny held him down again. 

"The fuck did I ever think trusting you would do for me?" Vinny spat, then actually spat on Rick's face. 

"That's fucking disgusting! Just cause we've shared spit doesn't mean that spitting on me was okay! Get the fuck off!" Rick lifted his leg and kicked Vinny in the stomach, right off of him. Rick decided to try to pin Vinny down now and flip the roles. Ricky soon learned that his weight was not proportionate to where he needed it and as for strength? Get fucked. Vinny flipped him over fast, digging Rick's right shoulder into the mud. Rick hissed softly at the pain and he bit his lip. 

"Goddammit Olson, and I thought we could get close. All you are is a joke, and I can't fucking trust you." Vinny spat again on Rick and Rick was unable to wipe it off. Rick kicked at Vinny a few times, hoping to move him away. 

"You're the asshole who sucked me in! You didn't have to shove me into the table, or stare at me during interviews! You could have let me go but then you fucking kissed me." Rick groaned and he slapped Vinny's cheek again, the same cheek he kicked him in. 

"Then, on top of that-" Rick inhaled sharply and shoved Vinny off of him again, now Vinny's shoulder splashed into the mud and his arms were covered in splats of mud. 

"You fucking made me feel safe! And my parents told me since I was fucking six or something that boys loving boys not okay and for some fucking reason-" He paused again to hit Vinny's other cheek and Vinny flipped them again. Ricky's often black silk like hair had mud clumps stuck in it and his face was coated with mud splatters and Vinny's spit. 

"No you listen here you fuck. You made me feel these fucking stars inside of me and you made my head spin like a fucking planet. You made me feel things I have never felt with any girl before and it's not fucking fair. You can't sit here and complain about what I did when you sleep in the bunk across from me and tease me with your fucking existence!" Vinny shouted in Rick's face and Rick flinched a few times. Vinny grew closer and closer with each few words and it hurt Rick's head to hear such close screaming. 

"You made me feel constellations Vin. And I'm still chasing them away." Rick had whispered in a soft and sad tone, right by Vinny's face. 

"Don't chase them away unless you're being burned." Vinny commented and inhaled sharply when he felt large hands grab his arms and yank him off of Rick. It was Chris, getting ahold of the two of them and this ongoing battle. 

"Rick, Vin, what the fuck?" Chris asked in a disappointed tone. Chris was the oldest and for the band members, when being scolded by him- it seemed like a father and son situation. 

"He's a dick, he has a dick and should go choke on one." Vinny yelled at Rick and Rick smirked. 

"You would kill to see my lips around your dick. You would kill to see me choke on your dick. But I am not hungry for any sausage right now." Rick snapped back and was lifted up by Ryan.   
"No, I'd kill you if you went near my dick. Probably don't even have one, you kick it so often! Plus, you have a common theme of not being fucking hungry, so I wouldn't count on it. " Vinny threw back and and Rick chuckled softly, and Ryan did as well. 

"You don't deserve a dick. Sucks to be you." Rick shrugged. 

"I'll fucking cut yours off asshole, while you're sleeping!" Vinny growled and Chris stepped in verbally. 

"Cut it out, the both of you! Immature assholes you both are." Chris really growled, like an actual bear or something of the dark forests. 

"Fuck off Olson, you're the one chasing my constellations." Vinny said and Rick turned red, not in anger but in embarrassment. 

"You should stop spinning for me and leaving your fucking stars on the ground for me to follow." Ryan and Chris were beyond confused about what they were talking about, it was nerd talk to them. 

"Maybe I left them there on purpose. Ever think of that?" 

"Maybe I follow them on purpose."

"Cut the shit, what else do you find in me that you'd follow for?" 

"I see Mars in your eyes and it fucks with my constellations and tilts my planet too far to the right and shifts my head. I see stars on your skin and your freckles outlie the past and the future. I see every mark still engraved in your skin as a present day nebula that I hope to walk on someday. I see your lips as the rings of Jupiter cause all I want is to be there. I see your chest as something I hope to hold close to mine, like the gravitational pull Earth has to the sun. I see you as constellations Vincenzo, and I'm still chasing them away. For Saturn can't connect with Jupiter and gravity doesn't exist in space. Which means I can't love you due to my family's beliefs." Rick explained softly, his voice became sad and soft again and he wished Chris and Ryan weren't here. Devin stood outside as well, in the middle of the two but more to the side and out of the way. 

"Gravity exists on earth Rick. I'm begging you to dock here. It's safe." Vinny said back, softly yet with passion in his tone. He felt strongly about it, and that was audible. 

"Can't dock if your baseboards are fucked. I have to wait till you repair them." Rick explained. Devin understood them and he was brought to tears by the pure emotion and genuine love shared between the two. It was a battle for heart over head and family over personal beliefs. Nature, or nurture? 

"I'm gonna get right on it Captain Olson. Then you can dock." Vinny added and he gave a weak smile up to Rick. 

"I'll be rounding orbit, waiting for you. Send me a message when you do." Rick replied and Vinny gave a soft nod. Ryan knew it was safe to release the two and Chris gave him an approving nod. 

"Hopefully, I'll finish before you run out of food." Vinny had commented. 

"You already know that won't be an issue for me." Ricky smirked and he stumbled back into the bus, needing a shower. 

"What the fuck were they talking about? Someday, I'm gonna kick both their asses to space if they pull that bullshit on me again." Chris sighed and he rubbed his temple. 

Ryan laughed and commented; "Don't get your foot stuck in their asses. They might enjoy it." Chris laughed and so did Devin, as well as Ryan. They all entered the bus behind one another.


	8. Chapter 8

Rick continued on his sour strike towards Vinny and he couldn't help but feel awfully regretful towards the decision. Rick had been immensely apologetic at the exact same time. He occasionally bumped into Vinny and would apologize for what honestly seemed like seventeen minutes. Rick had leaned on the counter in the counter in the front lounge, searching for something to do without being close to Vinny. 

"Uhm, can I play with you Vinny?" Rick asked sweetly, trying to not only come off as okay but to come off as peaceful and unprompted. 

"Why would you want to play with me?" Vinny snapped, and Rick for sure was unsuspecting of a reaction like that. 

"There's nothing for me to do. The bus is in motion and I have to wait three more hours until it stops so I can leave and grab a new book or two at the next gas station." Rick explained as he shifted his weight from his right foot to his left foot and back and forth.

"Well I hope you know how to actually play this game." Vinny snit and he crossed his arms, leaving the remote he was using next to his lap. Vinny stared at Rick with evil eyes. 

"What have I done? What did I do to make you despise me again? Was it something I said? Did you happen to read my private journal or something like that? What did I do this time to get you so fucking sour towards me? Cause I'm letting you know ahead of time, I don't like it." Rick confessed, facing Vinny back now. He let his eyes lock onto Vinny's and the stare hurt him more than the nasty attitude Vinny had. 

"Did I ever fucking ask about how you are and how you feel? Now can you answer my original question on whether or not you know how to play?" Vinny demanded an answer from Rick, continuing to be mean towards Rick. 

"Wow. I had asked questions too, and I'd love answers as well." Rick replied softly and he crossed his legs, sitting next to Vinny. 

"No, not telling you, fuck you and no. Not telling you because you're a little whiny bitch and I don't care." Vinny hissed and Rick felt little droplets of Vinny's anger filled spit on his face and he tried to move his head back. Someone's hands gripped the sides of his head and pulled them towards Vinny, and when he felt the warmth in the hands; he figured it was Vinny's. 

"Get off, no, what are you doing?!" Rick yelped and Vinny yanked Rick's face towards his own, and kissed him. Rick eventually kissed Vinny back and he relaxed himself. He let his body calm down and he stopped trying to fight Vinny's persistently pulling hands. Vinny and Rick got a good five seconds through the kiss until someone busted into the front lounge without a warning. 

"Oh my god, what the fuck?!" The voice was deep and they had gasped before speaking. "Rick and Vinny? What the fuck?!" Chris yelled. Ryan then hopped out of his bunk and he gasped as well. 

"What the hell Rick? You told me you couldn't stand his ass and that you wanted to strangle him because of how frustrated you were with him, and now, you're sucking face!" Ryan yelled an gave a few chuckles afterwards. Chris laughed too and gave Ryan a high five. The two's faces had detached from each other and Vinny let his hands slid down from the back of Rick's head. Vinny's warm hands lay in his own lap now and he had a nice pale pink flush across his cheeks. 

"I totally didn't expect you guys to end up like that at any point this week. Who made the first move?" Chris asked. Devin didn't bother to come out of his bunk because he was sleeping with earbuds in, blaring HIMSA. 

Rick and Vinny both had the same shade of embarrassment painted on their cheeks and their cheeks were red hot as well. Rick glanced up at Vinny from his current staring position at his own hands. He was playing with his black beaded bracelet on his left wrist with his right hand. Vinny glanced up at the same time and they both let out a soft chuckle, well, Rick's was more like a giggle. 

"Uhm, well, Vinny did of course." Rick muttered and Chris gave a cheer, followed by a cheer and chuckle from Ryan. 

"Never thought he'd ever make a move! Good job dude." Chris added and Ryan nodded in agreement. 

"Can you guys just.. go away? Obviously nothing else will come if you're standing here staring." Vinny's anger tinted voice spoke up. The pink had faded from Vinny's cheeks and slowly, it wiped from Rick's when he heard it. Rick hated angry people, especially those angry with him or at him. 

"Yeah, I mean Rick can't cum if you're not grabbing his dick." Ryan joked and Chris laughed aloud, and almost began choking on air. Good one Ryan. 

"Holy shit, Ryan that was perfect." Chris choked out and Vinny was clearly becoming more agitated by the second. Rick gave a soft disapproving sigh at the shitty joke Ryan made. Normally, he'd give a chuckle or what not but right now; Vinny was mad and he wasn't looking to be a cause on further agitation. 

"Listen, can you and Ryan take your shitty jokes and just leave?" Rick pleaded and ran a hand through his black hair, letting it fall on both sides of his neck. 

"Shitty jokes? What you mean, Rick actually getting in a relationship?" Chris teased and Ryan laughed. 

"Yeah, shittiest joke ever! That'll never happen. Or will it..? Find out on the next episode of: Fuck, Is Rick Olson that desperate for dick?" Ryan joked back and Rick let out another disappointed sigh. 

"Listen, Ryan and Chris, can you just stop? These aren't even funny. You know it's seriously not amusing if I don't laugh." Rick tried to explain, procrastinating an outburst from Vinny. 

"Chris and Ryan, fuck off. Leave now or I'll fuckin' push you both out of the moving bus." Vinny threatened and the laughter slowly died down. Rick let out a shaky breath, for he did fear this side of Vinny. 

"Satan Vin, calm the fuck down. We're only teasing." Chris said softly as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. 

"Well I wasn't. Leave so I can go back to playing Overwatch." Vinny replied fast, and he picked up the remote again. He had a wireless blue shiny remote, it was sold right during the new Call of Duty season. Of course, Vinny got the big deal package with the two remotes and the blue tinted Xbox. 

"Fine. Loser." Ryan spat and stuck his tongue out and Rick swung his hand uselessly in signal to cut it out. Vinny rolled his eyes, ignoring the boys. 

"Uhm, so Overwatch.." Rick mumbled the second the two had crawled back to their bunks and closed the door that separated the two areas.

"Yeah. Have you ever played?" Vinny asked, in more a relaxed and soothing tone. How did Vinny switch his emotions on and off like that so quickly? Rick pondered on the type of issues Vinny could have struggled with where that would be a common sign but nothing came to mind fast enough. 

"I think once. I watch you play all the time. " Rick commented and then, panic rose through him realizing what he said. "I meant, uhm, I don't like creep on you or anything I was just- It so happens to be that everytime I- well you see.." Rick trailed off and he bit his bottom lip, awkwardly staring at his feet and his legs, all crossed together. 

"It's fine. I like to know you try to have interest and learn. I think that's actually cute." Vinny commented and he flashed a quick smile towards Rick, taking his hand and gently guiding Rick's head up by his chin. Vinny moved rick's face to face his own again and Rick stared up now, into Vinny eyes. Rick felt the increasing power of the nebulas strike his own constellation struck eyes and he gasped softly. 

"God.. you've got to be astronomically bound. Fuck. I can't handle trying to tame this kind of astrological power myself." Rick whispered, breathless at the sight of the eyes he was gazing into. Vinny's green eyes had so much in them. It sucked Rick in faster than gravity sucking people back down to earth. He felt breathless, the power in Vinny's eyes left Rick on a mission. He wanted to search for more, he wanted to stare forever. If it meant he'd feel this way forever, that's what he would do. He would stare forever. 

"You're such a nerd. It's adorable to hear you describe me like that. Describe the power Rick, I want to know what I hold in my eyes." Vinny asked, coaxing Rick. 

"It's like a drug trip but a thousand times safer. You eyes hold the power of all the constellations in the southern region, all the ones near Australia. You have the whole series of nebulae in the right eye, the gravitational pull sucks me right in. I want to explore and find out what exactly you behold, and what secrets you hide from NASA. Your left is is more powerful and stronger than the right one, for it hold pure stars. The stars that are unnamed yet bright enough to be acknowledged and deserve a name. The ones in the infamous constellation Andromeda. Not a lot of people favor her story and why it was placed there but I personally love it. Beta Andromedae, Delta, Fifty Six, Omicron, all of them. There's a good fifty two stars accounted for with names. I want to catch them and hold them for myself but each star is burning hot, and I don't want to get damaged." Rick rambled, his words were full of passion and his eyes tended to widen when passionate on certain points. Vinny watched carefully, mentally noting each expression. 

"You ever want to know what I see in your eyes?" Vinny asked softly, and Ryan had his head peeked through the crack of the door to the front lounge. He was listening, jaw dropped open at the romantic males. Chris had his head right underneath Ryan's and this time, Devin joined. Ryan had been the one to yank an earbud out and tap Devin into the conversation spectating.

"Yes, please. Is it like space too?" Rick asked, reaching for Vinny's hands to hold and fumble with. 

"No, see, what I see is far more enticing than what you'd ever see through your eyes." Vinny cooed and Rick nodded slightly, continuing to gaze and occasionally, a slow blink here and there. 

"Go on, I'd really enjoy hearing." The Overwatch music played in the background and Rick focused in on Vinny's lips now. 

"I see the ocean, the roaring ocean. Each waves crashes hard into me, and stuns me for a good five seconds. Each time you blink I crave another swim. I've been prepared for a swim since the first time I saw you, and I tried to ignore the ocean inside of you but it pulled me in. The tides are too strong in your eyes. I'd drown a thousand times if it meant I could say safe in your eyes. Your eyes are all of the safety I feel at the oceanside, my head stops and all thoughts drain into the water. The water is chilled, chilled by all of your own thoughts. I try to swim through the encapsulating ones you spew but the ocean's waves are far too quick. Each thought sinks faster than myself and when I'm at the bottom, I get the whole view. I feel each secret of yours burn a star out in my eyes. I hate the sting but crave another go at it. The sand in your water changes with mood, and often stays the light brown it normally is. The calming rush of each movement of the waves shakes me further and further from shore and I long to be as far from sure as humanly possible. No need to find my body, I'll wash up when your eyes close at night hen you sleep. The waves slam into my face hard and nearly choke me because I am unprepared for your thoughts. So intricate, Rick, the colors are so intricate. The similarities with the ocean, the patterns of the ocean and your eyes catch me breathless beyond belief. You can't ever get me out of the water because it's safe here and I long this place." Vinny finished his description. Each time he inhaled, he gave a slight lick to his lips to keep them from looking so incredibly dry. He blinked slow as well and exhaled before laying down each sentence, for what Vinny spoke of was heavy shit. 

Rick was quite stunned himself and when the two males heard a few childish amazement expressions they gasped.


	9. Chapter 9

"H-How long have you guys been here? H-How much did you hear?" Rick muttered, turning towards the three immature heads hanging from the front lounge doorway.

"The whole time dude. The second you guys told us to leave, we joined up here. Ryan got Devin's attention." Chris said as they all stepped out from the doorway.

"Awh, come on. Fuck you." Rick mumbled and he sighed, rubbing his forehead and his eyes.

"Are you fucking serious?! Why are you guys so rude? We can't have a conversation without you assholes spying in on us? Is this how it's going to be now?" Vinny began throwing questions left and right and Rick felt uneasy again. Rick decided that maybe this time he would say something before Vinny got red with anger.

Rick leaned over to Vinny, who's hands he was still holding and he moved his pale pierced lips to meet a spot close to Vinny's ear.

"Pl-Please don't get so mad. I-It scares me." Rick explained in a hush, more simply put than what he had to say. He would have went on but he hoped that for now, that was enough to stop him.

Vinny glanced up and over at Ricky, and as he whispered; he stared at Chris, Ryan and Devin. "Oh, I'm sorry Rick. I'll try to cut it out." Vinny said in a soft tone, more ashamed now.

"Th-Thanks Vin. Chris, Ryan and Ghost.. uhm... c-can you guys stop sneaking? It-It's just kind of weird an-and we really don't like it. Not to speak for Vinny, but in terms of speaking for Vinny.. just cut it out." Rick warned to the three males standing there. Vinny nodded and began to rub circles on the back of Rick's hands. Rick had tattooed hands, nice and smooth as well. Vinny truly thought that it was some sort of miracle on how they continued to be soft even with all the playing he did. But then again, he wondered the same about his own hands.

"Your hands are really smooth, and it's soothing to play with them." Vinny spoke up, just between the two of them now.

"Thank you. I mean, now you comprehend why I do it. Why I play with my hands or someone else's. Not only does the entire band have smooth hands but.. it's just relaxing." Rick elaborated and Vinny nodded, showing he was listening.

"Yeah. Are Devin's as soft as they look?" Vinny questioned.

"It depends on how he's dressed. When he did that Beetlejuice look, they were ashy and weird. But I bet if you ran over and fooled with them right now, they'd be smooth." Rick easily responded.

"Good to know. I'll test that theory later. Do you still want to try playing Overwatch?" Vinny asked in his calm, soft tone. As of this moment, Rick was mindlessly playing around with Vinny's hands. Maybe that calmed him down effortlessly as well.

"Uhm, sure. You promise you'll thoroughly teach me?" Rick interrogated once more.

"Yeah. Step by step if that's what you need." Vinny gave a reassuring smile, added on to the end of his statement. Rick concluded the conversation with a nod and he reached for a remote. He got the silver remote, a shiny and reflective silver. The buttons were clear with the letter completely visible all the way through.

A long two hours later, the two men continued to make out on the couch. The game was running again and they had their arms wrapped around each other instead of bound to the controller. Their eyes closed instead of glued to the screen. They were slightly more touchy now compared to the last time they'd kissed. Rick had his arms around Vinny's neck, his hands hanging around and not really doing much. Meanwhile, Vinny's hands were in Ricky's hair, and pleading for this kiss to become unbreakable. Vinny had kept fucking around by sliding his tongue across Rick's lips and then pulling it away. Rick continued to make little attempts at nibbling on Vinny's bottom lip. It had more color in it than his own, and he wanted to tease as much as Vinny was. He felt it was only fair. Rick nibbled on it and when the kiss clearly had to come to a break, he tugged at Vinny's bottom lip and he then released it.

"Woah.." Rick whispered and he began chuckling, softly close to Vinny's face.

"Yeah.. woah. You're really good at that." Vinny giggled and he pushed some of Rick's messy and tangled black hair from his eyes and slipped it behind his ear.

"Uhm, well Vinny.. what are we?" Rick muttered, but his mouth was facing up towards Vinny's face.

"What do you want us to be?" Vinny replied, in a soft hushed tone. He was looking down at Rick, who for some reason was slouched over way more.

"Uhm, well I really like that. The uhm, kisses. They make me feel satisfied." Rick confessed and Vinny gave a reassuring nod again.

"I like them too. Here, let's check something else out." Vinny began to express, and then he went in for a hug. Rick began to crack a smile but soon after, he lifted Rick into his lap.

"I like this too. I love this actually." Rick added onto his original statement.

"Good. Ricky?" Vinny mumbled down and into Rick's hair. He had his chin placed on the top of Rick's head, his arms wrapped around Rick tightly. To ensure full protection and safety in his arms.

"Uhm yeah Vinny?" Ricky quickly replied, in fear either he was going to say something bad or just hurt him. Rick was on edge with just two words. That's how simple that was.

"Do you want to be mine?" Vinny replied, with a small hopeful smile. Rick's jaw dropped and he stared up at Vinny. Vinny had removed his jaw from resting on top of Rick's head. Rick was fully staring at Vinny now.

"Do I wh-what?" Rick said shocked. He thought the outcome of mutter was going to be bad. He couldn't believe his ears, he wanted to hear it again.

"Do you, Rick Olson want to be, Vinny Mauro's? That's me by the way." Vinny repeated and clarified his previous statement.

"Uhm, yeah but Vinny, are you sure?" Rick replied and he bit down on his lip, towards the middle of it where there were no piercings.

"Yeah, I'm one hundred percent sure. I wouldn't have asked if I was feeling otherwise." Vinny reassured and Rick let out his gasp of air he had taken in earlier.

"Awh, wow. I never thought you'd ask and I never thought we'd be a... a thing." Rick shamefully admitted and Vinny nodded.

"I felt the same way. But, now we're here. Together." Vinny concluded.

"Together. So uhm, is it weird to say..." Rick trailed off and got real quiet, and as he continued to inaudibly and incoherently mumble his cheeks grew red.

"What? I love you?" Vinny asked and he saw Rick's cheeks get as red as they could.

"Uhm, yeah. I love you too Vinny." Rick replied with a small smile, and Vinny returned the smile. They fell asleep in each other's arms, still tightly bound to each other. Chris snuck in and took pictures of the two all snuggled up together and posted them on his Instagram story.


	10. Chapter 10

Chris had about five pictures of the two males sleeping and those five pictures alone had earned him at least seventeen thousand likes on them alone. Each one of them alone had a good seventeen thousand one each singular one. All together, it was an approximate of eighty five thousand. The comments came in thousands, which is why he left the notifications off completely. 

Rick woke up to feel his phone buzzing like a bee, meaning something of his or one of the members of his band's had blown up. Yes, it was common for the members to randomly receive tweets yet this time, something had to have grown fast. Rick opened up his phone, the silly pass code was his birthday. 09-01-88. Rick slid the phone into the second main screen and found the messages box. Nope, nothing there. Just the casual six threads of conversation he normally had. Vinny, Ryan, Chris, Devin, Ashley and Korel. He double tapped the home button on his cell phone and Rick slid up and out of the application. Rick then found the notification count red bubble next to his Instagram that was practically exploding. Rick opened the app and he scrolled up to the notifications tab. Woah, what are they commenting on? A bunch of tags in a few different posts of Chris'. What did he post? Oh my fucking god, you have to fucking kidding me. When the fuck did he take these? Why the fuck did he fucking take these, goddamnit! Rick threw his phone onto the floor next to his bed. 

"Christopher Thomas Cerulli! Why the fuck did you post these pictures and what the fuck were you even thinking when you decided to take these and post them?" Rick grumbled, sliding out of he bunk fast and rushing his legs over to the tall man standing over by the coffee pot. 

"What? The ones of you and Vinny? Oh you guys looked real cute and I figured the fans would like- oh shit. Neither of you have come out on any social media. Rick, I'm so sorry. Oh fuck, I didn't even think about it like that. We have such a large and loving fanbase, Rick I doubt anyone would make anything bad from it." Chris rambled as soon as he realized the possible outcome of his simple and well intending actions. 

Rick let out a large sigh and then took in a small breath. "It's fine Chris. There's no point of even taking them down, right? Cause it's been republished and spread worldwide. Leave it alone. I'll calm Vinny down before he can even get mad." Rick reassured an he walked back to the bunks. He slid the curtain on Vinny's bunk and hoped he was in a nice, fresh and happy mood. Ricky tapped at Vinny's hand that had weakly lay on the side of his body. 

"Vinny?" Rick asked softly, tapping it rhythmically. 

Vinny let out a soft grumble and then a bit of a whining noise and turned to face Ricky. Vinny brushed some of his brown hair from in front of his eyes and he blinked them open slowly. Vinny stared into Rick's precious blue eyes. Vinny gave a small smile just seeing them in front of him. 

"Good morning, or evening. How are you?" Vinny asked, then turned back over for a second to try to find his phone. "Why is it going off like that?" Vinny mumbled sleepily, and Rick ave a smile full of false hope. The false hope practically shined right off of his teeth. 

"Uhm, morning. I'm okay. It's in the side pocket of the bunk. I wrapped your headphones up for you, it was making me twitch in annoyance due to how messy you let the headphones stay tangled. I needed to untangle them and then wrap them up neatly to prevent them being tangled again." Rick continued to sputter nonsensically out at Vinny, hoping to distract him. 

"Are you fucking kidding me? Rick, shush. Who took these and said Chris could post them?" Vinny hopped out of the bunk and he held his phone in his right hand, a grip on it like never before. "Chris, what the fuck?" Vinny growled, flipping the phone to Chris.

"I didn't think it through. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." Chris apologized simply put, to prevent further altercations or angry snap backs from Vinny.

"Damn right you didn't think about it! Now everyone knows something and that's not good! They'll probably bash me just like fucking high school, and I never even said yes! I can't believe this, and it's not like we have thousands of fans or anything." Vinny rambled. There was something in there that Vinny himself revealed that the rest of the band didn't know, and didn't need to know.

"Who didn't take no as an answer? Did you go to the police?" Chris spat, worried. He didn't expect Vinny to panic. He expected a long ass rant and angry comments.

"Nothing! It doesn't matter! I'm fine. I'll fucking get over it." Vinny said softly, and then his voice began to raise. He slammed his phone down onto the table, and he sighed and walked into the bathroom. He bit his lip and Rick came flying after him.

"What happened Vin?" Rick asked softly, and he went to place a hand on Vinny's right shoulder. Vinny smacked it away and he let out a loud sigh.

"Nothing. I told you! Nobody listens! I'm fucking fine." Vinny hissed after slapping Ricky's hand away.

"Please, don't hurt me. I never meant to make you mad. I'll go away, I'll go now. If you need me then you know wh-" Rick was cut off again, by a ticked off and beyond common anxious Vinny.

"Shut up and let me be." Vinny growled and Rick backed away and went to his bunk. He had no clue what he'd ever done to deserve this hate, but he didn't want it.

"Fuck, I'm sorry." Rick replied flatly to himself as he crawled into his own bunk. He didn't want to be alone, he wanted to be with Vinny. He wanted to be happy, cuddling with Vinny again.

"Ricky! I didn't mean to make this happen!" Chris shouted and he walked back to the bunks. Chris slid Ricky's curtain back and he ran his hand through Rick's hair.

"What? It's fine. I don't care. I just know he hasn't taken his freshly prescribed as of two days ago medicine yet. So all I have to do is make him coffee, and maybe a sandwich or some sort of food and then have him eat it." Rick explained, and he relaxed into the warm hand running through his hair.

"I caused this. I'm sorry Ricky. I'll help you cook. I can convince him to eat." Chris suggested, and he walked to the kitchen area.

The two of them made eggs for everyone in the band and turned Vinny's into a scrambled egg breakfast sandwich. It had bacon pieces and lettuce, chopped onion and red sweet bell peppers. Vinny walked out of the bathroom and into the front room to the bus and saw the food, and gave a small smile. Maybe that was the Vinny that Ricky knew was alive. Vinny ate and then took his pills when the rest of the band did. Rick took his anti depressants in sync with Vinny, who took his mood stabilizers. Then they pecked each others lips. Everything was okay again, how Rick liked it to be.


	11. Chapter 11

Ricky had finished the small bit of food he had and he threw the paper plate out. Vinny watched Rick carefully, eating his food yet watching him. He just preferred to stare at Rick than his food, Rick was pleasing to look at. Vinny had then followed in Rick's footsteps by dumping the specs of egg from his plate into the trash can and then his plate and fork. Rick had a gentler, neater manner to things. That was something easy to see. Vinny had followed Rick to his bunk and slid into it with him.

"Hey." Vinny greeted, simply put. He ran a hand through his hair, and then ran the same hand through some of Rick's longer hair.

"Uhm, hey. How are you feeling? Was the food good?" Rick asked, making conversation. Also known as continuing the current one. Rick would be completely satisfied even in silence with Vinny.

"The food was good. I'm okay. Better now that I get to be close to you." Vinny replied, running his thumb down Rick's cheek and tracing all the way to his jaw and chin. Rick relaxed visibly into the warm embrace being offered silently to him.

"Good. I like being close to you as well." Rick replied, not even feeling forced or rushed. Vinny let him take his time with every reply and that made him feel better. He really just wanted to make sure Rick was feeling safe, and that meant to give him his time for everything.

"You're such a lovely person. Your eyes are so pretty. Rick, look at me in the eyes for a second?" Vinny requested politely, and somewhat guided his chin up to meet the placement of his own.

"I'm not all that lovely. I wish I was as majestic and lovely as you. You're really lovely. You ever take the time to adore yourself?" Rick asked, holding Vinny's other hand and rubbing circles on the back of his hand.

"No no, you are. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it, Rick. I can't adore what I struggle with accepting." Vinny explained, and he let out a soft sigh.

"I appreciate the compliment, but it's a lie. What don't you like about yourself? I can bet it's one of my favorite things." Ricky spoke softly, and sweetly. He wasn't being obnoxious. He wasn't going to turn and make fun of Vinny. Why would he do that? That was only cruel and Vinny didn't deserve treatment like that.

"Why would I lie to you? I love everything about you. You're so fucking perfect. I can't stand it." Vinny smiled a small little smile at Rick's lips. Vinny craved a little kiss but first wanted to hear what Rick had to say.

"Cause you feel sympathetic. You don't actually think these things. I still want to know your flaws, or the things you claim are flaws." Rick snipped back, and he stared at Vinny's eyes as he spoke.

"My hands. They're too tan, and the veins pop out. There's hair on my hands, and they're too big." Vinny began, with something he personally disliked.

"I love holding your hands. They bring me comfort, and something to physically hold onto. Something to admire about you." Rick hushed his claim of a flaw, and he continued to hold Vinny's hand. Rick brought the hand he held up to his lips and pecked the back of it.

"My legs, they're all gross. There's too much weight on my thighs, and it makes me seem like a fake drummer. Most drummers have a nice set of thighs from drumming, it drops weight. I just have gross thighs. Not to mention, my ass doesn't even look like it exists when you see my thighs." Vinny rambled and Rick continued to be here for him, by complimenting him. He wanted to prove Vinny wrong.

"I think your thighs look fine. I personally love them. Who cares about drummer stereotype? You look perfect as of right now, and I wouldn't want you looking any other way. As of your ass, I never thought about it. It looks fine no matter what kind of pants you wear, so personally yet again I'm not bothered." Ricky concluded that note and waited for Vinny to move on.

"My arms aren't as skinny as yours. My stomach isn't as flat as yours." Vinny blurted and Rick gasped softly.

"No. You don't want to look like me. For one main reason being that the way I look was a bad health issue. I shrunk my stomach down, Vinny. Over a long period of struggling to eat and satiate my stomach completely, it shrunk. You know the eggs you ate this morning? Compared to my singular egg? I couldn't eat more than what I had. I physically cannot fit that much food into my stomach. You don't want to look like a stick. I promise. Promise me that you're going to forget my body as an image of what you want to look like." Rick pleaded after elaborating his own image and issue.

"I'm sorry Ricky. I didn't know all that, and I still love you the same okay? I promise. I won't make unhealthy decisions or do anything stupid to satisfy my mental image of a good body." Vinny complied and Rick gave a soft smile and nod.

"Thank you. Can we just sit in silence? I need time to admire your eyes." Rick whispered and swept a thick lock of Vinny's brown from in front of his face and eyes.

Vinny gave a nod and he laid his head down and made it so he was laying flat. "Here, place your pretty head down on my chest." Rick did as requested of him and he curled up and into Vinny's warm body.

"You are so beautiful. All of you." Vinny whispered and Rick fell asleep. "The loveliest person I have to hold."


	12. Chapter 12

Rick had woken up in the heat of someone else's bunk. The only other time this happened was in 2013, and with Chris. That was because Chris was on and off with a female and Rick was going through a rough patch. Rick had turned to someone for comfort. That, at the time was Chris. This however was not Chris. It was a different warm, it was more warm in the heart. Rick could practically feel all the love this person had to hold and give in his heart. Vinny.

"Hey, someone's awake." Vinny whispered, still playing with Rick's hair.

"Haha, hey. What time is it? How long did I sleep?" Rick first asked, to try to clarify his current position in the world.

"It's 7:09, and you slept three hours. How do you feel?" Vinny replied back, then also felt the need to ask a question.

"I'm uhm.. sleepy still. Can I just go back to sleep?" Rick requested and stared up at Vinny with big eyes. Vinny gave a smile in return, adoring Rick's lovely eyes. Rick always gave him the same gaze. He loved the little stare Rick did whenever he was questioning him or something. Rick liked to stare at Vinny, so he was hoping Vinny would stay silent and just stare back.

"You can sleep, sure. I'll be here." Vinny reassured automatically. It was only to set the soft and serene safe mood again for Rick.

Rick gave a weak smile and laid his head back down on Vinny's chest. He had faint black circles around his eyes from previous eye makeup, and still some chips and blots of dried up black paint on his neck and hands. His tattoos contrasted the black though, so they had still been visible. The hopeless ones across his fingers, for the most part. His hair was all curly, due to the friction against Vinny's sweater and chest.

"Rick, you're the most precious thing to lay with me. In my arms, and I promise they'll always be open for you. I'll never turn you away, you can always come to me." Vinny rambled to Rick, and continued his anxious yet soothing habit of running his hands through Rick's hair. Vinny was untangling the small knots that wouldn't pester Rick, or hurt him. For the most part, Rick did have the silk alluding hair. It was as soft and neat as it looked.

Rick slowly let his eyes close before whispering a small reply to Vinny's kind words again. "I love you.. thank you Vinny." Rick mustered a whisper and he let his eyelids lock shut on the others and his head drift.

Vinny watched him for the next two hours he slept and tried other things to keep his own hands moving and to keep Rick's dream in a nice place. Vinny rubbed circles on his back, rubbed circles on the back of his hands, pecked the back of his hands, played with his fingers and held his hands, ran his hands through Rick's hair, and a few other methods of distraction. Eventually Rick woke up, and blinked himself into the reality that he had fallen asleep on Vinny again.

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't even think I was this tired. I can get up so you can pee and go eat and stuff. I didn't mean to be knocked out that long." Rick began to rapid fire apologize and Vinny leaned down to the suddenly anxious pale lips and he pecked them.

"It's okay. You asked me earlier if it was okay to go back to sleep, and I said it was fine. I then continued to play with your hair and peck your hands. You're so amazing Rick, how do you continuously never cease to stun me with your looks?" Vinny hushed the anxiety, and put it out. Like a fire and blanket, he dulled it's oxygen and he shut it down.

"Oh uhm, okay. Thank you, but I don't see what you do. I think I look gross. I wish I looked more like you." Rick confessed and he gripped Vinny's hips. He just needed something to hold onto to push himself up and off of Vinny. Vinny then held onto Rick's hands and he leaned his head up slightly to kiss Rick.

"You're okay Ricky. You have to get out first for me to be able to." Vinny then explained and Rick slid himself out of the bunk.

"Ah, okay. I'm here. I'm going over to the food making area, and grab a Naked juice from the fridge." Rick got up and felt a hand on his shoulder. It was a strong hand, something slightly heavy.

"No. Stay with me, please." Vinny pleaded, or requested simply put. Rick had furrowed his dark brows for a moment, and he blinked twice.

"I'm only retrieving a drink. Hold on." Rick implied the speed of his own body, and the common time it took to walk three or four steps and back to a bunk. Vinny's grip tightened.

"Don't go. Come back and lay down." Vinny demanded now, it was a different tone. The glare in Vinny's eyes shifted and Rick felt a wave of anxiety throw through his skin and he felt the goosebumps rise.

"Leave it alone, Vinny. I have to confess, there's only one thing I currently dislike on your part. The fact that you change. You change into this demanding, angry person. It terrifies me, Vinny. Absolutely terrifies me." Rick confessed, honestly.

Vinny sighed and he removed the hand from Rick's shoulder. "I didn't mean to terrify you. I don't mean to hurt you. I have no clue why I'm like this. I'm sorry Rick." Vinny apologized sincerely and greatly, a dramatic improvement in mood.

"I don't know why it happens. It concerns me. As a partner, I believe it's right to be concerned. So I'm going to collect my Naked and be back." Rick continued explaining his original plans as he went to the food making area and slid a Naked from the door. It had his name sloppily scribbled on it, Ricky. Then a little pentagram. Rick took the small mighty mango drink from the doorway and he popped the cap open and twisted it counter clockwise. He then took a small sip and he swallowed it, walking back and sliding into Vinny's bunk again. "Told you, it's a fairly quick process." Rick sassed and Vinny smirked.

"Shut up smartass. Can I have a sip?" Vinny requested sweetly, and Rick shook his head no.

"Did you really think I was gonna give you a taste of my sweet son? No. Nice try. You thought. It's got my name on it. Mine." Rick then stuck his little pink tongue out and smirked.

"Wow. I see how it is. Can I have a kiss then?" Vinny tried with well intent behind the question. Rick kissed him, and Vinny sucked on his tongue for a second. When the two pulled away, Vinny smirked like the Cheshire Cat.

"Thanks for a sip. It's so good. Never had Mango before." Vinny sassed and with bright eyes, glared at Rick's.

Rick gasped and he frowned, and pulled a mock pout. "I hate you. You smell bad." Rick tried to insult, but it only backfired as a weak insult.

"I'll make sure to remember that baby. Come close again. I have a secret." Vinny convinced and he put his left hand around his mouth in a semi circle looking thing and he smirked. When Rick's ear was close enough, he blew a raspberry. Rick gasped and put his hand to his ear, trying to clean the spit off of it.

"Jerk!" Rick yelled, and he giggled a little, laying into Vinny's chest.


	13. Chapter 13

Rick had been sitting in the front lounge of the bus at three in the morning, trying to learn how to play Overwatch. Only for three whole reasons, one being so that he could play with   
Vinny. Two being that Vinny would think he was cooler and want to hang out with him more, and have more time together. Something else to bond over. Three being that maybe, if he wanted he could play on his own for fun; something as a stress reliever. Rick had fallen off the same edge at least seven times now, and he was struggling to learn some simple commands. He placed the remote down for a second, and rubbed at his black eye shadow smeared eyes. He let out a sigh, and a small groan in fear of never being able to learn. Just then, Rick heard some treading footsteps sliding across the carpeting. It was his favorite person, Vinny. He went right into the bathroom, and soon after he treaded out and over to Ricky.

"Whatcha doin' up so late? Go to sleeeep Ricky. Come on, you can sleep in my bunk, if it'll help. 'm all warm an' stuff." Vinny bragged, and tried to convince the restless Rick.

"Trying to play Overwatch. To play with you some day." Rick replied simply, taking the controller into his stressfully shaking hands and pressing start to continue the game. He did the same mistake he'd made at least seven times now. Make that eight.

"Fuck. Teach me real quick, please?" Rick pleaded, and he made the big eyes and pouty lip for Vinny as well. Vinny let out a dramatic long sigh and gave a slight nod. Vinny had taken the controller gently, then proceeded to make the jump Rick had failed to complete by hitting two buttons. Rick's mouth dropped open, and plastered open like this for a few seconds in shock.

"How?" Rick mumbled, and he felt the warm remote placed back in his hands.

"Cause, I'm the best. Come sleep wit me." Vin mumbled, hugging Rick from a side angle. Vinny was really cuddly when he was tired or had waken himself halfway up from sleep.

"Not tired. Stay up with me." Rick protested and Vinny sighed.

"Guess I'll just have to carry you." Vinny remarked with a bit of a smirk and he let go of Rick in the hugging position. He then took Rick by his waist and threw him over his shoulder. Rick let out a shocked yelp and he screamed, but not at full volume.

"Vinny, noo!" Rick yelped. Vinny took this opportunity to tickle Rick, and see his reaction to that. Vinny stuck his hand on Rick's leg, the back of his knee in the joint area. He began fumbling his fingers over the area and Rick began to giggle.

"V-Vin, no, ah!" Rick exclaimed, giggling his head off as he thrashed his head back and forth and his hair moved like crazy. "Ryan, so-someone help mee." Rick mock pleaded which the two of them entered the bunk. Rick had plopped down into the bunk and automatically cuddled into the bedsheets and comforter.

"Thank youuu. Cuddle, Ricky." Vin whispered and wrapped his arms around the thinner paler male's body and leaned into his cooling touch. "Why are you so cold?" Vinny questioned and Rick had simply shrugged it off. 

"Why do you have such dramatic mood swings and try to hurt people all the time?" Rick whispered, not really wanting to have been heard and he bit his bottom lip as he chewed on his black lip ring on the left side. 

Vinny retracted the smile from his lips and his cheeks returned to the plain stature they always were in. "I'm sorry, Rick. I never meant to be like this, I mean I don't like being this way either. How can I help make it better or easier to deal with?" Vinny offered. 

"No, no. I have to ask that. How can I help you? Cause, Vinny, it needs to change. I can, and I want to be the good change. " Rick had been fast to reply. 

"It's.. beyond my control. If you want to take on the demon then you can go ahead. Please, I'll beg you to help me." Vinny pleaded, and crossed his legs up again. 

"I'll help you, Vin. I promise." Rick gave a smile, and reached for Vinny's hands. Rick began to fool with them, and pick and play with his fingernails only to distract this over anxious, stressed out male. 

"Thank you Rick. Can I.. kiss you? You just, look so perfect to me at all times of the day. It's hard not to pull you over to me on stage and just kiss you. I feel so mentally bonded with you at all time. I picture us conversating in my head, and it plays out even better in real life. It's just so amazing to feel this way, and towards you. You're so amazing, Rick. Thank you, for promising and making this big step towards helping me progress mentally. You're the best, Ricky." Vinny had rambled, and Rick's cheeks were super red and his eyes brimmed with tears from being so surprised and feeling so loved. 

"Vin, that was so cute. Of course you can kiss me. You don't really need to ask, because I can trust you with myself." Rick had flustered, and he leaned his slightly puckered up lips towards Vinny's, and the two shared a passionate kiss on the maroon couch in the front lounge. 

Chris had spotted then, after only hearing half of the conversation and he smiled himself. Rick was devoting himself to Vinny, which meant Chris had to warn Vinny not to fuck with his friend. Rick was like family, a brother to Chris. If Vinny hurt Rick, Chris would really hurt Vinny. In the same terms, vice versa for Ricky. 

"Hey, just letting both of you lovebirds know that if either of you break each others hearts then I'll end the both of you. For a fair reason as well. I'd kill the victim to shut them up, and the killer to get rid of him and his toxicity to prevent anymore damage from happening. " Chris warned when the two males had separated their lips. 

"Shit, Chris. How long have you been standing there?" Vinny asked, a tad on edge. 

"Long enough to know that Rick is helping you overcome this mental blockage." Chris confesses, truthfully. 

"Aw, he knows. It's alright, Vinny. He's a secretive, tall and angry man. He can help too, I bet. " Rick had reassured, and he gave another small smile. 

"I can try. This is great though. To know that both of you are taking this step in this direction, to help each other and the rest of the band. " Chris concluded, and he gave a smile of his own. 

" I trust that Rick will help me, and I trust in Rick." Vinny had explained, and Rick gave another smile. 

"I trust that I can help Vinny, and that he will be and is totally willing to take my help and learn new ways to help himself." Rick had also elaborated, and Chris held his hand out to shake on this. A permanent bond over this promise of love, and care. Rick shook Vinny's hand, and then the two of the boys took their turns shaking Chris'. Ryan had woken up, in this ungodly hour and searched for the bathroom. When he bumped into Chris, he yelped and Chris only laughed at him. 

"What happened, Ryan? Looking for your mom, or the bathroom?" Chris teased. Ryan angrily, gently slammed his balled up fist into Chris' shoulder. 

"Fuck you. Let me pee, you dick." Ryan asked, and Chris stepped out of the way, and waved off for the night to Vinny and Ricky. 

Ryan had trailed off and out of the bathroom after using it, which signaled to the males that they should join the gang and go to sleep. Rick and Vinny both retreated to Vinny's bunk. Rick slept peacefully tangled in Vinny's arms, the two males sleeping happily again.


End file.
